North Sydney park wins $250,000 first prize in Canada-wide contest

North Sydney residents whoop it up after just learning their community had won the grand prize in a national competition. The Kraft Project Play win means North Sydney's Munro Park is getting a $250,000 facility upgrade.

And the crowd goes wild. Northside residents erupted with cheers, hugs, high-fives and whoops of joy after learning that Munro Park will undergo a $250,000 facilities upgrade as the grand prize winner of the national Kraft Project Play contest.

Angela Hull and Sandy Cantwell Kerr, of the Northside Soccer Association, are overcome with emotion after learning that North Sydney's Munro Park had won the grand prize in the Kraft Project Play competition. The park is getting a $250,000 facilities upgrade.

NORTH SYDNEY — North Sydney is getting its field of dreams.

On Friday, about 150 people, including dozens of young soccer players, gathered at the Northern Yacht Club where they learned the community’s Munro Park had won the $250,000 grand prize in the national Kraft Project Play competition.

Eight-year-old Sam Gracie was in the crowd that erupted with cheers, hugs and high-fives after the announcement was made on TSN’s SportsCentre. The national sports network even had a cameraman live on scene.

“This is the best day ever,” proclaimed young Gracie, whose long, blonde hair was a blur of movement as he jumped up and down in celebration.

And, declared 10-year-old Phalyn Matthews: "I am very happy because we can get a better field."

Munro Park was awarded the quarter of a million dollar facilities upgrade after a two-day, national online vote. In claiming the big prize, the waterfront sports venue beat out three other finalists — Swilers Rugby Club, St. John’s, N.L., White Oaks Park, London, Ont., and Portlock Park, Salt Spring Island, B.C.

Monique Cashin said the win was something the community needed.

"Right now I am super-excited, I'm over the moon, everybody is — I'm just so proud of our little community and what we did," she said.

After a lengthy and noisy celebration, dozens of area residents rushed to congratulate Angela Hull and Sandy Cantwell-Kerr of the Northside Soccer Association. But the two women, who were largely responsible for organizing the entry and for leading the rally for support, deflected the praise back to the entire community.

“We were the smallest community in the competition and I think it shows we have the biggest hearts and we pulled together more than anyone — right now we feel unstoppable,” said Hull.

For her part, Cantwell-Kerr said words couldn’t describe the extent of her jubilation.

“I’ve been very excited, but I haven’t had too much sleep lately with so much to do organizing and encouraging people to vote,” she said.

“This is a win for the entire community and I know we got votes from Capers all over Canada including Fort McMurray, Toronto, everywhere — this is just so wonderful.”

Cantwell-Kerr recalled the day the TSN cameras first came to the park.

"It was rainy and the field was completely waterlogged — maybe that's why we won, the pitch looked like a horrible place to play," she laughed.

Although an official ceremony with competition sponsors Kraft and TSN is yet to be held, the women are already dreaming of how good the Munro Park facilities will be after the upgrade. The improvements will likely include a new storage shed for equipment, a resurfacing of the playing pitch, better drainage, bleachers, benches, scoreboard, lights and washroom facilities.

A week before the win, Kraft threw a community barbecue and funfest at the park that attracted an estimated crowd of about 1,500 people.

david.jala@cbpost.com

On Friday, about 150 people, including dozens of young soccer players, gathered at the Northern Yacht Club where they learned the community’s Munro Park had won the $250,000 grand prize in the national Kraft Project Play competition.

Eight-year-old Sam Gracie was in the crowd that erupted with cheers, hugs and high-fives after the announcement was made on TSN’s SportsCentre. The national sports network even had a cameraman live on scene.

“This is the best day ever,” proclaimed young Gracie, whose long, blonde hair was a blur of movement as he jumped up and down in celebration.

And, declared 10-year-old Phalyn Matthews: "I am very happy because we can get a better field."

Munro Park was awarded the quarter of a million dollar facilities upgrade after a two-day, national online vote. In claiming the big prize, the waterfront sports venue beat out three other finalists — Swilers Rugby Club, St. John’s, N.L., White Oaks Park, London, Ont., and Portlock Park, Salt Spring Island, B.C.

Monique Cashin said the win was something the community needed.

"Right now I am super-excited, I'm over the moon, everybody is — I'm just so proud of our little community and what we did," she said.

After a lengthy and noisy celebration, dozens of area residents rushed to congratulate Angela Hull and Sandy Cantwell-Kerr of the Northside Soccer Association. But the two women, who were largely responsible for organizing the entry and for leading the rally for support, deflected the praise back to the entire community.

“We were the smallest community in the competition and I think it shows we have the biggest hearts and we pulled together more than anyone — right now we feel unstoppable,” said Hull.

For her part, Cantwell-Kerr said words couldn’t describe the extent of her jubilation.

“I’ve been very excited, but I haven’t had too much sleep lately with so much to do organizing and encouraging people to vote,” she said.

“This is a win for the entire community and I know we got votes from Capers all over Canada including Fort McMurray, Toronto, everywhere — this is just so wonderful.”

Cantwell-Kerr recalled the day the TSN cameras first came to the park.

"It was rainy and the field was completely waterlogged — maybe that's why we won, the pitch looked like a horrible place to play," she laughed.

Although an official ceremony with competition sponsors Kraft and TSN is yet to be held, the women are already dreaming of how good the Munro Park facilities will be after the upgrade. The improvements will likely include a new storage shed for equipment, a resurfacing of the playing pitch, better drainage, bleachers, benches, scoreboard, lights and washroom facilities.

A week before the win, Kraft threw a community barbecue and funfest at the park that attracted an estimated crowd of about 1,500 people.